They say that it’s the skill that truly makes the archer and not the bow. While true in many ways, there’s only so much you can do with a crappy tool. Ask any designer. Regardless of how skilled they are, the work is undoubtedly made easier and convenient thanks to the quality of their tools, hence this new compilation of ours. To make things easier for you aspiring digital artists out there, we’ve compiled a list of the best affordable brushes – one of the most essential tools a designer can utilize – on the online market. Check it out!
Outline Brushes by The Artifex Forge - $10
This brush package from UK’s Artifex Forge offers users a great tool to further enhancethe sense of – for lack of a better word - authenticity with their artworks. Simply put, it’s an amazing tool to bring your digital works to life with.Using a beautifully drawn Mexican calavera as a reference, these outline brushes are a must have for any digital illustrator out there! You can purchase this meaty pack right here - -
Realistic Pencil Brushes - $10
Exclusively for Adobe Illustrator, these wonderful brushes are a must need for every illustrator looking to take their works to a whole new level. All 92 brushes – that’s right.. 92! - included in this package are pressure sensitive and are based on actual graphite strokes. 92 interactive brushes for the price of $10!! What are you waiting for? Get it now!
Wood Grain Brushes - $9
Wood grains are one of the hardest patterns to emulate in design. They have a distinct look and are ridiculously intricate. Fortunately enough, there are brushes available online to save designers from the stress of trying to come up with wood grains. Enter these designs from Artifex Forge; simple wood grain patterns that make for great texturing. It’s fully adjustable and easy to incorporate. Download it now!
25 Fog Overlays and Brushes - $10
Photoshop brushes aren’t just for illustrations and designs. They also make for an effective way for retouching photos. This Photoshop package allows users to incorporate a misty fog-ish texture to add to their photographs. Take any outdoor photo you have and turn into an ethereal masterpiece!
74 Handcrafted Splatter Brushes - $8
Splatter brushes are a gift from the design gods. They’re easy to manipulate and bring a whole new depth to any plain, boring design you have. This package is one of them. From designer Eddy Biel, the package is a generous deal that offers users a whopping 74 brushes; all handcrafted with an insane amount of detail and attention put into it. Talk about scoring a sweet deal. Download it here now!
Kyle's Real Watercolor For Photoshop - $9
This is quite possibly the most elaborate watercolour brush you can find on the web right now. The package contains more than a hundred brush variations which allow users to create an infinite number of watercolour combinations. It’s designed to be pressure sensitive to give users a sense of depth and dynamism. Reach your artistic potential with these brushes!
Marblewash Photoshop Brushes - $8
Looking for a psychedelic touch on your artworks? This package is perfect for you. Intricately designed to give artists a unique brush to use, Paperwash’s Marblewash truly is a package to behold. Priced at a measly $8, you’ll be getting more than you bargained for when you download it!
55 Subtle Grunge Brushes - $9
Nuance is always important in design. It is often the subtle things that make a design truly stand out. Case in point: these fantastic texture brushes from Liam Mckay. Simple and effective, these brushes will no doubt give an edgier dimension to your designs. Download it now right here!
Real Markers For Illustrator - $9
A back-to-basics approach to brush application, this brush package is simple and minimal compared to other elaborately designed brushes on this list. But don’t let that fool you as this package has at least 300 marker variations. The package is well worth more than its $9 price!
Super Ink Brushset - $6
A perfect blend of simple aesthetics and practicality, aspiring illustrators andcartoonists are sure to love this package. Artist Michael Mervinetsky aka PinaColada’s no-frills approach to creating these designs are what make it trulystand out. With $6, 26 variations to choose from and a rich imagination, the sky’s the limit on what you can design with these brushes.